August is peak produce season in the U.S., and garden and market favorites are piled high, just waiting to be enjoyed. It might not be the most natural month for soup, but there’s no denying that it’s the best time of the year for high-quality ingredients. I’m cooking fall recipes right now for the blog, and even with the heat and humidity, I’m not mad about it. Everything just tastes better in late summer. I hope you’ll pop by your local farmers’ market and see for yourself just how delicious summer soups can be with this list of Seasonal Soups to Cook in August.
Chowdah
I live in the Midwest, and on any given July or August morning, you’ll find a crowd hovering over the crates of freshly harvested sweet corn. There’s just nothing like it. Many years ago, there was a farm positioned curiously right in the middle of my ‘burb that grew probably the best corn I’ve ever had in my life. If you showed up to the market tent at the right time, you got the freshest of the fresh, as the owner rolled up in his tractor to drop off the latest harvest. Corn chowder is a Casa SoupAddict staple in August, and even though I have a lot of corn recipes, I still never seem to have enough for my liking!
Southwest Corn Chowder is a deliciously bold end-of-summer soup, made with the season's best sweet corn, roasted peppers, and poblanos in a creamy, zesty spiced base. It's perfect for enjoying fresh veggies and southwestern flavors in one comforting bowl! Enjoy all year round with frozen sweet corn.
After you've had your fill of fresh corn on the cob, grilled or smoked, save a few ears for this decadent and flavor-charged chowder, inspired by the famous elote. It's rich but also summery and totally crave-worthy.
Sweet corn gets a spicy upgrade in this creamy chowder that's loaded with jalapenos and bacon. The corn kernels stay perfectly crisp, and the smoky bacon fat adds incredible depth to every spoonful.
If you love hearty, stick-to-your-ribs soups, this Ham and Corn Chowder deserves a spot on your menu. It balances the natural sweetness of creamed corn with salty bacon and savory ham for a genuinely satisfying spoonful.
Fresh, summer vegetables make a healthy and beautiful seasonal soup! Summer Minestrone is loaded with the season's best produce, and then brightened with the citrusy flavors of lemongrass and ginger. Quick-cooking on the stove, it's a light and lovely summer soup.
Dumplings are still having their moment in the spotlight on social, but this soup was here long before all that. It's one of my most popular soups, and for good reason: Simply combine your favorite frozen dumplings with the beautiful ease of Thai red curry paste, and a deliciously light and creamy soup is the reward.
A constant presence in my annual top 10 soups for over a decade, this Blue Zones-inspired minestrone is a simple, vegetable-forward soup that's easy to make and tastes so good you forget it's actually healthy.
This is one of my very favorite no-hassle summer soups. It's so quick cooking and effortlessly delish that it almost feels like a cheat. But, when you need soup and you don't want to hover over the stove, this is the recipe to reach for.
For more soups that are the perfect fit for summer, browse my collection of Summer Soups and perpetuate your love of soup all year long.
Pepper Pot
Like corn, peppers of all kinds are a popular crop at the local farmers’ markets and in backyard gardens. Their variety and spicy heat options make them a versatile soup ingredient. Peppers and chiles need a long growing season, especially if the goal is to fully ripen them (compare, say, an astringent green bell pepper to a sweet, ripened red bell pepper), making late summer the prime time to enjoy these beauties.
We're lucky here in the U.S. that not only do we have a beautiful variety of regional produce, but also that it can be shipped fresh to the four distant corners of the land. New Mexico's famous Hatch chile peppers are in their prime right now, and I've already seen them trickling in at my local store. I'll carve out a weekend soon to roast these beautiful peppers, and then get to work using them up in the kitchen. Like in this traditional and oh-so-delicious soup. It's summer in a bowl!
Southwest White Chicken Chili bumps the classic comfort food up a notch with zesty green chiles, salsa verde, and masa harina for authentic Southwestern flair. By using leftover or rotisserie chicken and canned beans, this hearty one-pot meal comes together in under an hour.
Summer bell peppers are one of my favorite vegetables and their versatility can be celebrated in so many ways. Baked stuffed peppers were a childhood favorite, and my mom had a rockin' recipe. As a soup fanatic, I love both that it makes an incredible soup AND I get to skip the stuffing and baking part. Soup does everything better!
I hope you’ll try something from this list that reminds you why it’s soup season all year long. For more inspiration, please browse my entire collection of Soup Recipes.
